City to move 415 graves

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

It is said that a grave functions as a shrine to the memory of a loved one.

However, many people do not seem to care about the graves of their family members.

The city administration plans to relocate 415 graves in the Menteng Pulo public cemetery in Central Jakarta on Sept. 19 to make way for the development of a public park in the front part of the cemetery, which is divided by Jl. Casablanca.

Graves in Block AA II and AA IV, located within 10 meters of the street, will be relocated within the cemetery or moved to the Kampung Kandang cemetery in North Jakarta.

Family members are expected to register at the cemetery management office between Aug. 5 and Sept. 18 and discuss where the remains are to be moved.

Up until Saturday morning, however, only 12 people had turned up.

This is not the first relocation. Last year the city administration relocated 1,003 graves from the cemetery for the same purpose.

"Last year, only 155 graves, out of 1,003, were claimed by their families although we covered the fees of the graves relocation," cemetery head M. Sirin told The Jakarta Post.

He said that 50 percent of about 59,000 graves in the 32- hectare cemetery were neglected by their families as they did not extend the rent fees for the graves.

The fee for a grave is between Rp 4,000 and Rp 100,000 for three years, depending on its location. The further it is from the street, the cheaper it is.

Sirin said most people did not care about the graves of their family members which will be relocated next month.

"If no one claims the grave, we will rebury the remains above the existing grave, which is also abandoned," he said, adding this was be done to save space.

Last year, about 9,000 people were buried in Menteng Pulo cemetery.

In Jakarta in 1985, bodies were buried each day, but in 1995, the number had increased to more than 90.

One of the people who still cares about the dead is Mrs. Sahetapy, 65, whose husband was buried in the cemetery in 1983.

"They (the cemetery office) sent me a letter about the relocation plan, so here I am," she said.

She said her husband's remains would be reburied inside the cemetery.

"Why do I have to think about his grave? It's simply because I want to keep my memory of him alive. I won't forget him, even though he passed away a long time ago," she said as she put a flower bouquet on her husband's grave.